New world record

[guido]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/...-record_420507

I think the phrase "Don't try this at home" covers it nicely.

Wow.

[ptourkin]

Denise and John Howard have been working on this for a while. She's still out there and is not done making attempts.

She was a very fast junior who quit racing and had three kids and then came back to race. She won a few 1-2s this season before "retiring." I've experienced her speed on the track first hand. We're following this closely in SD.

[carpediemracing]

This is something I wish I could give a shot.

Of course one problem, sort of, is that I've never gone over 125 mph, and at 125 mph I was sort of scared. And I was in a car.

[CampyorBust]

This is amazing! Those 80+mph recumbent aint got nuthin on this.

RST double crown suspension fork
+
17" alloy wheels with canti brakes on the rear
+
cable disc brake on the second 60tooth chain ring!
=
world record= mind blown!

So I guess dont need those 50mm deep aero wheels after all eh?

[bobswire]

I have no wish to go that fast on a bicycle (that takes no fear), I was satisfied enough hitting 100 on a motorcycle. This video of Brazilians drafting a truck on a hwy is crazy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7_Fq56g2c

[carpediemracing]

The recumbent comment made me think. If I had a roll cage of a bike that would help with fear. Sliding along at 150 mph just doesn't sound appealing to me. The current (overall) record holder fell at high speed, took him a while to get back on the bike because he broke so many bones. He eventually hit about 168 mph.

Although I have zero understanding of what it's like to be on one of those bikes behind a vehicle, I have to believe that 200 mph is within reach.

There are some trucks out there with about 2400 HP. I imagine they would make really good draft vehicles although I'm not sure they'd hit 200 mph.

[Jad]

Whoa. This must be incredible to see. And it makes me wonder just how fast a tandem could go.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by CampyorBust

This is amazing! Those 80+mph recumbent aint got nuthin on this.

RST double crown suspension fork
+
17" alloy wheels with canti brakes on the rear
+
cable disc brake on the second 60tooth chain ring!
=
world record= mind blown!

So I guess dont need those 50mm deep aero wheels after all eh?

Deep aero wheels are for riders who have to fight air resistance with their own power.

These land-speed records don't need to fight air resistance - in fact, these bikes are actually pulled (pushed?) forward by the eddy currents behind the pace vehicles. The challenge isn't producing the power to turn the wheels at 150 mph, its in trying to maintain their position in the "sweet spot" behind the pace vehicle.

[dustyrider]

This would be more interesting to me with some telemetry from the rider. She's pulled up to 90mph and makes up the rest by doing what exactly? Cadence, heart rate, watts maybe...anything to let me know that this isn't something I could do given the same set of circumstances.

[ptourkin]

At 488 gear inches, her cadence at 147 miles per hour would have been 102 RPM,” explains Todd Shusterman of Da Vinci Designs who custom made this system.

She was a national criterium champion in 2014 and 2015. Accelerating 488 gear inches is no joke. I don't know if you have a track background or not but have you ever turned over say, 53-14 which is less than 100? Also take into account the splat factor if something goes wrong.

[ultraman6970]

In the track 51x15 is like the usual stuff for everybody.

I cant even imagine the gear this girl used at all, even drafting but probably they practiced a lot because the car produce like a bubble and you have to stay there to it carries you but either way that gear is really hulk stuff even drafting. I imagine they practiced a lot to sync the speed of the car with how fast she was able to accelerate that gear.

Would love to see a video tho.

[dustyrider]

Originally Posted by ptourkin

At 488 gear inches, her cadence at 147 miles per hour would have been 102 RPM,” explains Todd Shusterman of Da Vinci Designs who custom made this system.

She was a national criterium champion in 2014 and 2015. Accelerating 488 gear inches is no joke. I don't know if you have a track background or not but have you ever turned over say, 53-14 which is less than 100? Also take into account the splat factor if something goes wrong.

Seems like turning 53-11, my only true comparison, would be quite easy at 90mph and the effort required would become easier the faster I was going. Kinda like spinning out down a steep hill...right?

Keeping up the 102rpms at 100mph+ certainly demonstrates strong bike handling skills, but is it "hard" to do? In other words, is 488 gear inches really representative of a level of effort your exerting when you're starting at 90mph and breaking 147mph?

I'm not saying the riding isn't impressive. I'm just saying I don't understand if this is something only an athlete of a certain caliber is capable of or something a strong cyclist could duplicate given the same variables.

[regularguy412]

Originally Posted by dustyrider

Seems like turning 53-11, my only true comparison, would be quite easy at 90mph and the effort required would become easier the faster I was going. Kinda like spinning out down a steep hill...right?

Keeping up the 102rpms at 100mph+ certainly demonstrates strong bike handling skills, but is it "hard" to do? In other words, is 488 gear inches really representative of a level of effort your exerting when you're starting at 90mph and breaking 147mph?

I'm not saying the riding isn't impressive. I'm just saying I don't understand if this is something only an athlete of a certain caliber is capable of or something a strong cyclist could duplicate given the same variables.

100 mph? I dunno. But I can guarantee you that 55 mph in a 53 x 12 behind an 18-wheeler out on the 4-lane AIN'T EASY. Although I WILL say that sneaking a peek behind you at that speed to see the slack jaws of those driving the 10-year-old Mercury Marquis' gives a good chuckle.

We have a nicely positioned overpass in this little town of mine. If you climb up on it headed East you can usually get in behind a big truck cuz he's stopped at the light at the bottom. It's the last light on that road out of town. The road is dead straight and practically dead flat. It's 5 miles to the state line. We used to chase semi's out of town like that for training (back in the day). We could usually manage about 2 miles total before we were spun out. Then we'd ride slowly back to town and do it again. Umm. We NEVER do that anymore. LOL

Mike in AR

[dustyrider]

Originally Posted by regularguy412

100 mph? I dunno. But I can guarantee you that 55 mph in a 53 x 12 behind an 18-wheeler out on the 4-lane AIN'T EASY. Although I WILL say that sneaking a peek behind you at that speed to see the slack jaws of those driving the 10-year-old Mercury Marquis' gives a good chuckle.

We have a nicely positioned overpass in this little town of mine. If you climb up on it headed East you can usually get in behind a big truck cuz he's stopped at the light at the bottom. It's the last light on that road out of town. The road is dead straight and practically dead flat. It's 5 miles to the state line. We used to chase semi's out of town like that for training (back in the day). We could usually manage about 2 miles total before we were spun out. Then we'd ride slowly back to town and do it again. Umm. We NEVER do that anymore. LOL

Mike in AR

Yeah, I'm thinking about gravity assisted speed being quite easy to maintain, not track speed. Where as, gaining speed on flat ground requires more effort, except I'm not in a moving vacuum. Which is why I keep thinking of riding downhill....I have no frame of reference.
This one will have my brain cooking until I can squeeze in a ride and forget about everything!

[CampyorBust]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

Deep aero wheels are for riders who have to fight air resistance with their own power.

These land-speed records don't need to fight air resistance - in fact, these bikes are actually pulled (pushed?) forward by the eddy currents behind the pace vehicles. The challenge isn't producing the power to turn the wheels at 150 mph, its in trying to maintain their position in the "sweet spot" behind the pace vehicle.

Well yes, I was being facetious.

I just find it ironic that the world bicycle speed record is held not by the guy barreling down a volcano in a full aero suit, not by an aero MIT team designed recumbent with fairing, and not by a road bike of some sort, but is instead held by a mtb with small bmx wheels, huge suspension fork pedaled on salt flats by a woman. (granted tucked in behind a range rover) Nothing against women more like a heck yeah kinda of moment, so how fast could Robert Förstemann go given these conditions?